More than a month after an arrest made in connection with a double homicide in Hardeeville that happened in May, a suspect charged with two counts of murder will appear in court.

Bernard Jenkins, 19, was arrested and charged in October and his preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 29 at the Hardeeville Municipal Court. Bernard Jenkins is the son of Lt. Jimmy Jenkins of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

14th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone said Tuesday the case also will go before the Jasper County Grand Jury on Dec. 4.

The bodies of Desmond Brown, 25, of Hardeeville, and Octavia Scott, 26, of Bluffton were found May 11 in a ditch on a dirt portion of Purrysburg Road beside a borrowed car that had struck a large pine tree. The car was described by police as a 2007 Infiniti four-door sedan. Emergency personnel were initially called to the scene for a car wreck with bodies on the ground.

Jasper County Coroner Martin Sauls said in May that both deaths were caused by gunshot wounds to the head and that the victims’ deaths were instantaneous.

“He was charged with two counts of murder and is presumed innocent,” Stone said.

Jenkins was charged with the two counts of murder. In June, Jenkins was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear in court for burglary charges. Jenkins was booked at the Jasper County Detention Center. Since his arrest, he has been transferred to the Beaufort County Detention Center.

Hardeeville Police Chief Richard Nagy said he is pleased with the investigation. He said he is awaiting the preliminary hearing.

“We are standing down waiting on the preliminary hearing to take place,” Nagy said. “At this point, we are very satisfied with investigation that culminated to his arrest. It brought the closure to the investigation and that was our objective all along. It was an appreciative effort made in the arrest and I hope it brought some closure to the families after their loss.”

Jasper County Sheriff Greg Jenkins did not respond by Wednesday to a request for comment.